Is there no end to the number of careers which reality TV ­contestants are expected to aspire to?

Michelin-starred chef and Professional Masterchef judge Michel Roux has taken it upon himself to train eight youngsters in the art of “front of house”. That’s waiting tables, to you and me.

What will it be next – a reality show called Call Centre Idol?

But if you’ve ever experienced surly, slapdash service for yourself, you’ll appreciate Michel’s mission to persuade people that front of house can be a ­brilliant career in its own right and an art to be carried out with pride.

The eight youngsters taking part were all chosen because they were at a bit of a dead end – so this series ticks many of the same boxes as Jamie Oliver’s series which saw him train troubled youths to be chefs in his restaurant chain Fifteen.

But what Michel probably didn’t bargain for was how much their training would highlight the yawning class gap between the kind of people who dine out and the folk who serve them.

Never having eaten in a restaurant, one lad struggles with the notion of a starter, main course and dessert. Another girl – a single mum – splutters, with good reason, that she’s never going to be in the position to buy a £30 bottle of wine.

Perhaps there’s an argument for schools to ditch geography lessons and replace them with courses on the art of carrying plates and pronouncing “prosecco”.

And as Michel discovers, lesson one could be how to say “please” and “thank you” to your guests.